If a train is moving in unauthorized areas or going too fast, PTC can override the error that caused the movement and stop the train before an incident occurs. Metrolink, Amtrak, BNSF and Union Pacific have committed to implementing the technology in Southern California in advance of the 2015 federal mandate created by The Rail Safety Act of 2008.

"I commend Metrolink and their freight railroad partners for their leadership in implementing positive train control, technology that can prevent collisions and save lives," said Deborah A.P. Hersman, chairman of the National Transportation Safety Board. "PTC is an investment in safety and Southern California has shown the rest of the country that where there is a will, there is a way."

According to a 2009 report by the Los Angeles County Economic Development Corporation, Metrolink's PTC implementation is expected to support more than 4,000 full-time jobs, equating to more than $164 million in revenue.